18e eeuwse secretaireSOLD

This is a superb mahogany secretaire, made in 1797 by Criddle and Smith( apointed to HRH the prince of  Wales, later the king), art and cabinet works of Truro, Cornwall England, for a Catherine Crowle at 10 Townsend Crescent Plymouth, the makers details are on a card on the bottom of the piece.

To find a piece with the origion is quite rare, also it has very unusual configurations in the drawers, the large double drawers would have had divisions for maybe bottles, or scrolls? the single drawers are diveided into sections which origionally had lids and were lined like tea caddys? and one of the interior drawers has a lot of small divisions? So there is a lot I don't know about Catherine Crowle, although she was obviously a lady of means, living in the most desirable of Georgian Crescent town houses and  able to have this piece of furniture specially tailored to cator for her needs. 

It has a really lovely origional pattina wax finish and some very modern for the time origional handles, and whats more it has origional keys and all the locks work !! 

Too top it all there is a very well concealed secret compartment, which will only be revealed to the purchaser, regrettably it wasn't full with gold sovereigns!

size: 101cm x 53cm x 100cm high, height of desk flap 76cm.